Antarctica is a characteristic of the continent. Mainland Antarctica Interesting places in Antarctica

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Antarctica is an ice-covered continent located at the south pole of the Earth, with an area of ​​approximately 14.1 million km2. From Greek, "Antarctica" means "the place opposite the Arctic." The continent is almost 2 times larger than Australia and 1.4 times larger than Europe. Antarctica's ice shelves, with a total area of ​​0.93 million km2, represent 1/15 of the continent's entire territory and are the source of the largest icebergs on the planet. The continent includes the continent of Antarctica and the adjacent islands (South Shetland Islands, Alexander Island, Peter I Island, Anvers Island, Adelaide Island, etc.). The continent is divided into territories (“lands”) named after their discoverers and historical figures, for example: Kemp Land, Macrobertson Land, Princess Elizabeth Land, Coats Land, Ellsworth Land, Wilhelhem Land, etc. Only 3-4% of the area of ​​Antarctica (40 thousand km2) is free from ice cover, these are sections of islands and coasts, “Dry Valleys”, ridges and peaks of the transantarctic mountains (they are also called “nunataks”). The thickness of the ice dome of Antarctica is on average 2600 meters; the world's supply of fresh water is concentrated in this ice (about 80% of all fresh water on Earth). Thanks to the ice cover, the continent rises 2000 meters above world sea level. Antarctica was discovered by a Russian scientific expedition in January 1820, its scientific leaders were Mikhail Lazarev and Thaddeus Bellingshausen. Since then, for almost two centuries, scientists from different countries have been constantly studying Antarctica. More than 45 scientific stations from different countries of the world have been built here, including Russia, the USA, China, Japan, Germany and Chile. Among the Russian scientific facilities in Antarctica that are currently operating: Vostok, Novolazarevskaya, Mirny, Bellingshausen and Progress, two more stations are reserved. Antarctica is recognized as a free zone for scientific research. According to the settlement agreement of December 1, 1959, Antarctica cannot belong to any country. The placement of military strategic facilities, nuclear power units and other nuclear carriers is prohibited on the mainland. Every 50 years, this treaty is revised; in 2009, a meeting of countries decided to leave the convention unchanged. Interest in studying the icy continent is growing as the need for new sources of energy resources grows, which, according to experts, are abundant in Antarctica. According to polar scientists, rich sources of oil, gas, precious metals, coal and charcoal are concentrated in the bowels of the continent. The development of such deposits requires enormous funds; scientists from the USA and China are working most actively in this direction today.

Geography of Antarctica

The center of the continent coincides with the southern geographic pole of the earth. Antarctica is washed by the waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. The waters surrounding Antarctica are also called the Southern Ocean; its area is conventionally defined as 20 million km2. The continent includes the continent of Antarctica, the Antarctic Peninsula and nearby islands. The entire territory of the mainland is penetrated by subglacial rivers and lakes.

The area of ​​Antarctica is 14.1 million km. sq.

Population

Population of Antarctica

Due to the cold climate, there is no permanent population in Antarctica. Scientific stations operate here in winter and summer; about 1,000 people are employed on the continent in winter, and about 4,000 people in summer. Tourists visit the continent every year; in 2010, their number was 36,000. It is noteworthy that in 1978, a human child was born for the first time on the mainland; this happened at the Esperanza station, where Argentinean Emilio Marcos Palma was born. In 2004 on the island. Waterloo illuminated the first Orthodox Temple in Antarctica - the Church of the Holy Trinity. In 2007, the first wedding ceremony in Antarctica took place here, the priest blessed Eduardo Aliaga Ilabac (a scientist from Chile) and Angelina Zhuldybina (the daughter of a Russian researcher) for marriage.

Weather in Antarctica

Antarctica is characterized by harsh climatic conditions with low temperatures, strong winds (katabatic winds, the speed of which reaches 300 km/h), snow storms and fog. It never rains here, and the air humidity is almost zero. In the eastern part of the continent in 1983, the lowest temperature in the entire history of meteorological observations was recorded, minus 89.2 Celsius. Winter here lasts from June to August, with an average temperature from -60 to -70 degrees, in summer (December, January, February) - from -30 to -50 degrees. On the coast of Antarctica, the temperature is much higher than the average for the mainland; in winter the thermometer here shows from -8 to -35 degrees, and in summer - from 0 to -5 degrees. The tourist season to Antarctica opens in November-December and ends in March-April.

Sights of Antarctica

Every year Antarctica receives tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world, and every year the tourist flow only increases. Such interest in the ice continent is explained by the desire to visit an extraordinary, mysterious and deserted place, admire the majestic icebergs of gigantic size, look at the wonderful animals of Antarctica, admire the aurora, visit mysterious places and stations of polar scientists, and also enjoy the peace and tranquility of the eternal ice. It should be noted that in Antarctica there is transparent, clean air, unusual for the human eye, because of this, objects here seem closer than they really are. The sunlight here is very bright, so all agencies recommend that tourists take good sunglasses and special attachments (lenses) for cameras. Most tourists come to the continent on cruise ships. The organizers of such trips additionally offer their clients diving services (studying the underwater world of Antarctica, including observing unusual “ice” white-blooded fish); “kayaking” (exploring glaciers and icebergs from the sea on boats called kayaks); mountaineering (climbing Antarctic mountain peaks, including Vinson, Erebus, etc.); camping (services of a tent camp located on the coast); skiing and photo tours. Particular attention is paid to organizing New Year's tours to Antarctica, during which tourists will be able to celebrate the New Year within the walls of a polar research station. The cost of such cruises averages from 10,000 USD for 13-18 days of travel. Among the attractions of Antarctica, the South Shetland Islands and Deception Island are especially popular. Notable for its volcanic origin and geothermal activity, the island. Deception is part of a once existing volcano; "Dry Valleys" The conditions of this area are close to those on Mars, astronauts are trained here, and the desert itself has been protected by the UNESCO community since 2004; "Bloody Falls" Found in the Dry Valleys, East Antarctica; Ice active volcano Erebus. This is one of the highest volcanoes on Earth (3794 m), it is notable for its unusual origin, and the composition of the erupted lava differs significantly from the composition of the eruptions of other terrestrial volcanoes; South Pole. Tours to the South Pole of the Earth are in demand among tourists; the average annual temperature here is -49 degrees. Harsh weather conditions do not deter people who want to reach the southernmost point of the Earth. Tour costs from 43,000 USD; Vinson Massif. Vinson Peak is the highest peak in Antarctica, its height is 4892 m; Lake Vanda. One of the saltiest lakes on the planet, its depth is 69 meters. In winter, this lake is covered with a crust of ice, and in summer you can swim here. Particular attention is paid to flora and fauna in Antarctica. Its representatives live mainly in the coastal zone. Vegetation on the mainland is sparse, with some species of mosses and lichens and several flowering plant species found here. But here live unique birds (arctic skuas, skuas, petrels), seals (elephant seals, Ross seals, leopard seals, Weddell seals, etc.), emperor penguins, Adélie penguins, and whales.

Transport

Antarctica can be reached by water or air transport. Tourists travel to Antarctica by plane from Chile and South Africa. Australian airlines organize tourist air excursions to Antarctica, but do not make landing stops. Expeditionary and cruise ships to Antarctica depart from the shores of Argentina, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

Health

To visit Antarctica as part of a cruise tour, a tourist will need to fill out a special medical questionnaire and submit it to the cruise ship doctor. Each passenger must have his own medical kit, which will contain his personal medications, as well as medications for seasickness. A cruise ship doctor will be able to provide emergency medical assistance to a tourist.

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Did you learn interesting facts about Antarctica in geography school? Surely yes. Then you must know that Antarctica is the largest desert on the planet. However, it still remains a blank spot on geographical maps. For the continent is surrounded by mysteries and secrets. For example, many scientists believe that the continent is actually the lost Atlantis. You will learn many more interesting facts about the continent of Antarctica while reading the article. Let's talk about everything in order.

Pioneers

Antarctica is the sixth continent of the Earth. Moreover, it opened much later than all the others.

It is believed that the first scientist in Antarctica was Carsten Borchgrevink from Norway. But there is evidence that Bellingshausen and Lazarev were the first to set foot on the harsh continent with their expedition. This was at the very beginning of January 1820. To be honest, the existence of the mainland was a real surprise to them. Because previously everyone was sure that this territory was an archipelago or a group of islands.

A century later, the famous Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen was the first person to reach the South Pole.

And only a few decades later scientists began to seriously study the Antarctic, creating scientific bases.

Geography of the continent

The continental territory is the harshest area of ​​the planet. More than 99% of the continent is covered with ice. Their thickness reaches 4.5 kilometers. Low air temperatures (up to -70 degrees) prevail in Antarctica. February is considered the most “summer” month. Although in prehistoric times the climate of the mainland was very warm. There were even palm trees growing here.

Now there are often snow storms and strong winds. However, Antarctica is not only the coldest place on the planet, but also the driest. The combination of dryness and cold is absolute there.

There are mountainous areas in the territory. Moreover, scientists even discovered two volcanoes. One of them - Erebus - is the southernmost volcano on the planet. Moreover, he is active.

Mineral resources were also found here. We are talking about coal, iron ore, mica, copper, lead, zinc and graphite.

Bloody Falls, Onyx and Clear Sea

The continent's ice sheet contains about 80% of the planet's fresh water reserves.

There are also reservoirs here. So, on the mainland there is the Weddell Sea. It is recognized as the cleanest in the whole world. The water is so clear that through its thickness you can see objects that are located at a depth of 80 m!

As for rivers, the Onyx River is considered the most famous. Its length is almost forty kilometers. True, it flows only for two months and in the summer.

There are also a large number of subglacial lakes in Antarctica. The most famous is Lake Vostok, 250 km long and 50 km wide.

Of course, there are many glaciers on the mainland. One of them gives rise to the so-called Bloody Waterfall. The water has a high iron content. This gives it a beautiful blood-red color. By the way, the water there never freezes.

Iceberg Country

What else is Antarctica known for? An interesting fact for children is that this is a country of icebergs. Here they reach truly record sizes. So, one of them broke away in 2000. Its length was almost 300 kilometers, and its width was 37. The weight of the “ice floe” was three billion tons. This iceberg was larger in area than Jamaica! Interestingly, part of this iceberg has not yet melted.

And just recently, a giant iceberg broke away and set off on a free journey. It is an order of magnitude smaller than the ice floe in 2000. But scientists believe that if it were melted, it could easily fill about 460 million artificial swimming pools. Or, say, fill the famous Lake Michigan in the United States. By the way, this body of water is one of the largest lakes in the world.

The continent is hospitable to fur seals, blue whales and killer whales. “Whitebloods” also live in the water. These are the so-called ice fish. Their blood is colorless because there is no hemoglobin or red blood cells in the body. But still, the most numerous species of inhabitants of this territory are crustaceans, or krill. Their quantity is measured in tons. This is the largest population in the world! By the way, Uruguayan doctors use krill powder to treat their patients. Thanks to this drug, people tend to quickly lose excess cholesterol.

By the way, researchers from Chile were able to prove that the imperial penguins of Antarctica, interesting facts about which we are considering, feed exclusively on these crustaceans. That is why they do not suffer from atherosclerosis!

By the way, these birds live only in Antarctica. They mainly hunt in water and can swim even tens of kilometers away. Emperor penguins are loners and form large colonies only during the breeding season. This is when the Antarctic winter sets in.

In general, Antarctica is more than sparse in land animals. There are no reptiles here, but there are ants. But polar bears do not live here at all, but in the Arctic. Although recently a number of scientists have already thought about populating this southern continent with them.

Antarctic population

For obvious reasons, there are no permanent residents here. But scientists live and work in this inhospitable territory. In summer their number is about 5 thousand people. In winter, this figure decreases several times. They say that specialists live more than amicably. In any case, there are already registered interethnic marriages.

And in 1978, seven Argentine families arrived on the mainland. They wanted to see how long they could survive in these difficult conditions. Jokes aside, Emilio Marcos Palma turned out to be the first representative of the stronger sex to be born on this uninhabitable continent.

True, Antarctica is not at all isolated from the outside world. There is Internet, television, telephone communication with a code, and an ATM. It also has its own currency. It's called the Antarctic dollar. There is also a bar. In fact, it is considered the most inaccessible drinking establishment on the entire planet. By the way, the diet of specialists also includes a foamy drink - beer.

There are several Christian churches in Antarctica. One of them is a Russian Orthodox church.

At one time, there was also a nuclear power plant here, which belonged to the United States of America.

By the way, before a person is going to go to the icy continent, he has to remove his wisdom teeth and appendix to minimize the risks of sudden inflammation. They don't do surgery there. But one day, in 1961, a Soviet scientist was forced to operate on himself due to acute appendicitis. Fortunately, the surgery was successful.

Politics of Antarctica

There is no president and no government on the mainland. Antarctica does not belong to anyone at all. Although a number of powers at one time claimed ownership over this territory. But these plans turned out to be in vain.

Several years ago, representatives of a number of countries signed the so-called “Antarctic Treaty”. The document declares this territory an international protected area or “natural reserve.” Since then, the continent has been considered a demilitarized zone. Scientists from any state can only conduct research here.

Secrets of the continent

Interesting facts about Antarctica don’t end there. She is surrounded by secrets. So, at one time, researchers discovered some buildings here. Their dimensions were similar to those of the Egyptian pyramids of Giza. In addition, there are legends about Adolf Hitler’s underground bases. It is known that during the war the Fuhrer began to explore this territory.

Anyone who studies meteorites knows that there is no better place in this regard than Antarctica. The fact is that fireballs that hit the continental ice cover are preserved much better than in any other place on the planet. Thus, in Antarctica, scientists discovered fragments of a meteorite from Mars. It was an unexpected discovery. After relevant research, scientists stated that the continent is similar to the red planet. In the sense that the territory of the continent is so similar to Mars that they began to use the icy continent as a model of Mars!

Antarctic tourism

Since 1980, the mainland has been accessible to tourists. Fortunately, there are many abandoned places that guests of the continent want to visit. For example, there is still a camp that was founded by the famous traveler R. Scott back in 1911. Such bases have already become a real tourist attraction.

In addition, wrecked ships are often found on the Antarctic coast. As a rule, these are Spanish galleons of the 16th-17th centuries.

Well, one more interesting fact about Antarctica: several years ago, musicians from the cult band Metallica arrived here as guests and tourists of the mainland. They even gave a concert to an audience of 120 people! The most interesting thing is that the group members were able to comply with accepted international agreements related to environmental regulations on the mainland. Namely, they did not use sound amplifiers. The latter was broadcast into fans' headphones...

Country population 0 people Territory 14.4 million square meters. km Capital McMurdo Station Domain zone.aq

Antarctica Hotels

Antarctica is the most inaccessible place on the planet. Human presence here is reduced to an absolute minimum, because the harsh climate of the continent prevents this as much as possible.

In the summer months (our winter months) the temperature rises to the level of " you can survive"(down to about −50 degrees, on the coast up to −2).

About 4,000 people live in scientific stations (150 of them are citizens of our country, Russia). Therefore, tourists who come to explore the mainland live on a cruise ship.

The ship is a “floating hotel” that smoothly moves through the Antarctic straits and lands on the coast so that tourists can see everything with their own eyes.

Climate: Severe cold temperatures vary with latitude, altitude, and distance to the ocean. East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica due to its higher altitude. The Antarctic Peninsula has the most temperate climate. Higher temperatures occur in January. On the coast the average is slightly below freezing.

Antarctica attractions

South Pole. Many people strive to get here not for the marvelous landscapes, but for the sake of simply getting here. A place for the sake of a place. There is nothing here: clear skies and kilometers of impassable snow around. There are two South Poles: a ceremonial one (where everyone takes pictures, there are flags of the countries exploring the mainland and a mirror ball with a diameter of 40 centimeters) and a geographical one, decorated with a modest sign that is very easy to miss.

Amundsen-Scott Station is the first permanently inhabited station in the interior of the continent. Its inhabitants can proudly write “South Pole” in the “place of residence” column. The station is completely self-sufficient even in winter and is supplied with power. It even has its own greenhouse where vegetables and herbs are grown using hydroponics.

Ross Ice Shelf- a calling card of the continent, it is often depicted on stamps dedicated to Antarctica. The largest ice shelf in Antarctica. You can see it if your cruise ship is sailing from New Zealand.

Terrain: About 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% waste rock, with average elevations between 2000 and 4000 meters. Mountain ranges up to almost 5000 meters. Ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, in the Antarctic Peninsula region, and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo; glaciers form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating icebergs make up 11% of the continent's area.

Leisure

Traveling here is the most expensive in the whole world. The coast with penguins and fur seals is visited by about five thousand tourists a year; only a little less than a hundred reach the interior of the mainland.

People travel to Antarctica by plane or cruise ship. Traveling by plane is a very convenient opportunity to explore the main natural beauties of the mainland, from the frost-free coast with wildlife to the South Pole. This method is not as spectacular as on a cruise ship, but it is the most comfortable, fast and gives you the opportunity to see places where a cruise ship simply cannot get.

Cruises are a great opportunity to enjoy the coastal scenery while periodically landing on land. And, of course, watching penguins, polar birds and seals. The only drawback to the cruise is its length; as a rule, the trip lasts at least five days.

Resources: Possibly oil and gas.

Resorts

In this section we will, of course, not talk about resorts in the generally accepted sense, but about places that are most often shown to tourists, so: a visit to the South Pole is most often combined with an excursion to the American Amundsen-Scott station, which is something from the inside similar to a hospital and business center.

Tourists are also offered to visit the Antarctic Peninsula, Drake Passage, Lemaire Strait, Mount Kirkpatrick, and the Queen Maud Ridge.

Antarctica is a huge icy continent, almost twice the size of Australia. This is the only place on Earth almost untouched by man. Most of the land in Antarctica is covered with ice, which retreats in coastal areas in the summer. Here on some mountain peaks there is never snow. adapted to extremely low temperatures.

The southern circumpolar continent Antarctica has unique natural conditions. Like all the continents of the southern group, it is part of Gondwana and differs little in its surface structure from its other parts. However, in terms of geographical location, the continent of Antarctica has no analogues. Only here a large area of ​​land (14 million km 2) is located in the polar region, almost completely beyond the Arctic Circle. The second feature of the continent is its complete isolation from other continents. The continent of Antarctica is washed by the waters of the Southern Ocean with the powerful current of the Western Winds. An atmospheric depression forms over the ocean throughout the year, which prevents air masses from low latitudes from reaching the coast of the mainland. Due to these circumstances, as well as the fact that the Southern Hemisphere is colder than the Northern. As a result, the climatic conditions of the Antarctic continent contribute to the preservation of thick ice cover. It, in turn, increases the severity of the climate, as it reflects a large part of the already reduced flux of solar radiation. In addition, heat in summer is spent on melting ice. The harsh climate is the main distinguishing feature of the continent’s nature, which determines the characteristics of all natural components.

Average monthly summer temperatures in most of the continent do not rise above 0°C, and in the central regions they are below -30°C. In winter, average monthly temperatures vary from -16°C on the coast to -64°C and lower in the center. The lowest temperature on Earth was recorded here -89.2°C. The severity of the climate is aggravated by strong katabatic winds and, on the coast, cyclonic storms. Cyclones of the polar front in the summer capture the coast of the Antarctic continent. Temperatures usually drop at this time, as the weather is cloudy. High speed winds are accompanied by snow storms.

Greenpeace in Antarctica

Greenpeace, an environmentalist organization, has its own scientific base in Antarctica. Greenpeace is particularly concerned about the future of the icy continent. The goal of Greenpeace's efforts is to transform Antarctica into a protected continent, the nature and wildlife of which are protected, and any human economic activity is strictly limited. Greenpeace members advocate for the continuation of scientific research and are fighting to ban mining in Antarctica and its use for military purposes. Greenpeace activists in Antarctica advocate for the protection of its natural ecosystems. They opposed the construction of the airfield by collecting debris and waste accumulated during construction and presenting it to the leaders of the military base. Greenpeace activists demand a ban on whaling.

The most isolated and perhaps the harshest continent on the planet is Antarctica. Discovered by a Russian expedition in January 1820, this cold area attracts intrepid tourists and travelers with its brutal, pristine beauty. The entire territory of Antarctica is divided into Lands, named after their explorers, discoverers or fairly famous personalities (Queen Elizabeth Land, Wilkes Land, Palmer Land, etc.). The main part of the continent is constantly covered with glaciers, and only 40,000 square meters. km are free from ice cover.

The sights of Antarctica are not very diverse, however, this fact does not detract from the attractiveness of this region. Every year it is visited by those who are ready to experience all the surprises and delights of the capricious Antarctic weather. The majority of tourist groups prefer popular tours in the form of flights over the territory of Antarctica, because a truly amazing view opens up from above.

Glaciers of Antarctica.

A popular destination in Antarctica is Paradise Harbour. Watching the huge blocks of centuries-old glaciers and icebergs from the boards of inflatable boats is a spectacular sight.

Islands of Antarctica.

There is a place in Antarctica that is of particular interest to volcanologists, hunters and travelers - Deception Island. It is an extinct volcano and has the shape of a horseshoe.

Bloody waterfall.

An unusual attraction for icy Antarctica is the Bloody Falls. Streams of red water with a high concentration of salts and iron oxide flow down the surface of the glacier, originating in one of the Antarctic lakes.

Whalers' Church.

Another famous place in Antarctica is the Whalers Church, built in the neo-Gothic style back in 1913 next to the whaling station. Despite its full functionality, after restoration in 1998 it is practically not used today, but has been preserved for posterity as a monument.

Mountains of Antarctica.

The Queen Maud group of mountain ranges rises 3 thousand meters above sea level. The system was discovered by the expedition of R. Amundsen, receiving the name in honor of the Norwegian Queen.

Drake Passage.

Drake Passage was named after the pirate sailor who sailed in this place in mid-1578. It is the deepest and widest strait in the world.

Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church, located in an ice cave, is located at the Belgrano Arctic research base. This is the “coldest” temple among all religions known on earth.

Penguins in Antarctica.

And, of course, the most important and beautiful attraction of Antarctica is the king penguins, without which it is impossible to imagine this region.

Despite the harshness of the continent of Antarctica, its attractions do not end there. Below you can see other interesting places that are located in this cold region: